Jyri Pylkkänen didn’t enjoy his first taste of whisky. He had just turned 18 and, as is tradition in the Finnish culture, he was given a heavily peated dram that didn’t sit well on his palate. “Smoke holds a prominent presence in our culture, from the aroma of smoked saunas to the flavour of smoked fish, meat, and vegetables. It’s no surprise that my first encounter with whisky leaned towards the peaty side,” says Pylkkänen.
Eventually, however, he learned to embrace the smoke. The heavily bearded alcohol maestro started his journey in Helsinki, where he managed several bars known for their cocktails.
Surrounded by a wide whisky selection, his passion for the spirit grew in pitch and fervour, and he finally joined William Grant & Sons (WGS) in Finland to fan the whisky-fuelled flames.
This journey has now led him to South-east Asia, where he recently became the new regional malts ambassador. It’s his first time in this part of the world, and he’s loving it. Pylkkänen talks about his favourite bars in the country and dives into the latest from WGS—a dynamic range of rare and precious blended Scotch whiskies dubbed Wildmoor. It pays tribute to the country’s wild elements: ancient history moorlands, rugged coastlines, dense forests, unspoiled mountain ranges, and imposing lochs.
Tell me more about Wildmoor. What’s special about it?
The name pays homage to Scotland’s wild nature and ruggedness that is less celebrated and virtually unknown in the whisky category. It’s special because it brings together high-aged rare whiskies from the WGS family reserve, one of the widest and most extensive ancient reserves of Scotch in the industry. Some are even from distilleries that no longer exist, making these whiskies extremely rare and precious.
Can you tell me more about the Wildmoor bottle and label?
I love our bottle design. It reflects the physical panorama of Scotland’s rugged beauty—from the rural lowlands to unspoilt uplands, coastlines, rivers, and lochs. The bottle stopper features our logo, a rounded Scottish pine cone, with the WGS signature around the rim.
What are the flavours one can expect in the different bottles?
You will embark on a flavour journey like no other. Our blend of malt and grain whiskies are finished in a variety of casks, from Oloroso Sherry and Pedro Ximénez to Caribbean Rum. For example, 23 Year Old Dark Moorland brings a hint of smoked pine needles together with malty bread, while 30 Year Old Rugged Coast has more sweet honey characters with marzipan and candied lemon. The 40 Year Old Black Mountain has a subtle oakiness, mellow Christmas spices, and delicate forest berries.
Shifting gears, what are some of your favourite bars in Singapore and the South-east Asian region?
I’m a fan of the Burnt Ends bar at Dempsey Hill for its extensive whisky selection and creative whisky cocktails. Another go-to is Writers Bar, Raffles Singapore, for its Penicillin cocktail. If I’m in the mood for something more experimental, I enjoy visiting small bars like Junior The Pocket Bar, Idle Hands, and Night Hawk.
On a recent Bangkok trip, I discovered bars like Firefly Bar at Sindhorn Kempinski, renowned for its excellent service and atmosphere, and Dry Wave, a new bar that impressed me with its innovative cocktail mash-ups and delicious concoctions.
